REDEVELOPMENT
Redevelopment Plan

Jackson, Tennessee experienced devastating tornadoes just before midnight, May 4, 2003. The areas within the city limits that were hardest hit by these storms, (ranging from F1 to F4 classification,) were the Downtown business district and East Jackson.

The destruction caused by the tornado has left a considerable rebuilding task, as well as a considerable opportunity to correct past mistakes, and institute infrastructure more appropriate for land use in the present and future. The City of Jackson does not simply intend to rebuild what was lost, but to undertake a studied, systematic process, in partnership with community stakeholders, organizations, and businesses, to create a better city that will accommodate the needs of future generations.

Though a grant from the Economic Development Agency, the City of Jackson undertook a program of evaluation and planning led by an Advisory Panel from the Urban Land Institute, Washington, DC. The report produced by this panel (ULI Plan) called for the immediate establishment of a "Redevelopment Project Area and Strategic Redevelopment Plan":

The city should establish a Redevelopment Project Area as a revitalization tool for East Jackson and the downtown. Redevelopment is a local economic development tool that will be vital for implementing both the housing development goals and attracting commercial investment. This requires the adoption of a Redevelopment Strategic Plan. "The most important aspect of the Strategic Plan is that it document the long-term direction for revitalizing the area and is something the public can rely on as a guiding document.

This Redevelopment Plan is the result of the recommendations of the ULI Plan and the work of the four Recovery Task Forces, in cooperation with the staff of the City of Jackson, the Jackson Housing Authority and the Jackson Downtown Development Corporation.

For more information, contact Valerie Greer now or telephone (731) 425-8233.